Gloria B.'s Reviews

Helen Mirren is amazing here! Good match with Harrison Ford. This one starts with a bang literally. I did not know this would be a series, and that's a bit disappointing. But it's a good intro to the Dutton family and the Yellowstone series that comes later.
Review Date: 11/26/2023

What a little gem of a fllm that is right up there with the classics. This is one of the more interesting Anton Yelchin films I've seen. It's a bittersweet love story in which Brian (Yelchin, who is always endearing) begins with conflicted morals and naivete learns a hard lesson about love. It is also a study on personal growth as the main character grows from would-be writer with a rejection letter covered wall to published author. His parents are played by Glenn Close and and Frank Langella. I liked Glenn Close here. It's more of a thinking movie that is quite sensual and beautiful. I give this one a solid five stars.
Review Date: 7/4/2020

Exaggeration to the point of sterotype? Maybe. Earned two stars with me. One for my having actually watched it from beginning to end. I didn't find any of the characters particularly believeable, and one was excruciatingly annoying. There were a couple moments of funny humor, but in general I thought it was a rather pointless romp through dragsville.
Review Date: 2/18/2013

Not a review so much as a warning. One reviewer on Amazon wrote:
You know a movie is going to be bad if the trailer is so bad that you can't even finish watching it. (Darrren12000) That sounds pretty bad.
Review Date: 8/6/2013

If there were a way to rate negative stars, this film would deserve it. I'd never seen how the right wing delivers propaganda until I got a look at this film. The film claims that democrats, environmental movement, women's movement, and all progressive movements in general are euphemisms for communism/socialism with the goal of "destroying America." Among the targets are the media, education and the arts. It would be laughable if it were not disturbing on so many fronts.
Review Date: 7/21/2018

This film is more slice-of-life on the Nobel Peace Prize winning physician, theologian, and humanitarian, Schweitzer (Jeroen Krabbe) and begins with his hospital in Lambarene, West Africa, where he lives with his wife (played by Barbara Hershey) dispensing medical treatment with his team of volunteer doctors. Schweitzer's philosophy of Reverence for Life is attributed to guiding the modern day environmental movement. I enjoyed the film for what it was. There may be holes in the plot, but I think the film is still worth a watch.
Review Date: 10/7/2018

A very low budget, alien stoner film from New Zealand. There's some hilarious scenes, and bad acting if you're into that sort of thing. The aliens look so ridiculously fake that it's funny. Poop humor is probably aimed at a younger crowd. It is what it is.
Review Date: 6/23/2022

Based on the political thriller by Vince Flynn, this was an exciting watch. It is the story of the origin of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien), recruited by the CIA black ops, and trained by veteran operative, Stan Hurley, played perfectly by Michael Keaton. The film opens with a terrorist attack on a beach that leaves many dead, among them, Rapp's fiance. This is the incident that sets him on his course to infiltrate the terrorist cell responsible, but he is thwarted by the CIA that beats him to it, and whiskis him off to a CIA training camp. O'Brien does a decent job of playing Rapp, as does Sanaa Lathan's portrayal of Irene Kennedy, the CIA Deputy Director. This was an intense action flick that kept me engaged to the end, and I would recommend watching this as well as reading Vince Flynn.


Review Date: 8/4/2018

Based on the political thriller by Vince Flynn, this was an exciting watch. It is the story of the origin of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien), recruited by the CIA black ops, and trained by veteran operative, Stan Hurley, played perfectly by Michael Keaton. The film opens with a terrorist attack on a beach that leaves many dead, among them, Rapp's fiance. This is the incident that sets him on his course to infiltrate the terrorist cell responsible, but he is thwarted by the CIA that beats him to it, and whisks him off to a CIA training camp. O'Brien does a decent job of playing Rapp, as does Sanaa Lathan's portrayal of Irene Kennedy, the CIA Deputy Director. This was an intense action flick that kept me engaged to the end, and I would recommend watching this as well as reading Vince Flynn.
Review Date: 8/4/2018

This is a new documentary film from Ken Burns told in two parts. Blood Memory is part one (116 mins); part two is Into The Storm (119 mins.) It includes interviews and beautiful cinematography. You get a good introduction to the history of the bison in this country that evolved alongside the Native Americans. The stories of Native people anchor the series, including the Kiowa, Comanche, and Cheyenne of the Southern Plains; the Lakota, Salish, Kootenai, Mandan-Hidatsa, and Blackfeet from the Northern Plains; and others. I can't recommnd enough!
Review Date: 12/4/2023

One reason I avoided watching this DVD before now is the cover art that, to me, reinforces the stereotype of Geronimo a "warrior" and "threat." At the beginning of this DVD it will correct that assumption. Geronimo was a leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886. I only watched the movie now because it is an American Experience film, something I did not realize before this. It is an excellent film! It is told through the words of descendants of the various Apache bands that had relatives involved in the plight of the Chiricahua. (Chiricahua were a group of different Apache bands.) I would highly recommend the film as a correction to the misinterpretations of history and of who Geronimo was. I was pleased to recognize the first interviewee of the film--it's just a clip before the main film begins--of Allen Houser, Chiricahua Apache, who is a renowned sculptor, and was one of my instructors at art school. He is one of the interviewees throughout the film, as well. What I appreciate most about the interviewees is their honesty and how articulate they are. This was a gift, that I greatly appreciate and will keep.
Review Date: 8/12/2023

I'm not sure what the intent of this film was. Themes on "the last of his tribe" are American's wet dream, but that may be another subject. My purpose is just to correct a few assumptions in the other review posted here. In general it is a good review, and asks questions about what has been omitted. Here are a few issues raised in the review:

The work says that "Minik was horrified to learn that after a sham burial, his father's skeleton was on display at a museum."

Native people have a respect for the dead. They go to great lengths to send their relatives on to the next world in a good way. There are various consequences of not following the rituals for the dead. With approx. 500 tribal nations, there are also diverse ritual practices for sending loved ones on to the next world. I would say "horrified" doesn't come close to describing Minik's response.

The reviewer continues with, "I really wonder if his situation helped to get the Indian Repatriation Act passed decades later." Well, probably not. Read up on the battle over The Kennewick Man's remains. Few museums have returned Native remains without a fight; and the law might apply as well to private land owners who continue to sell remains and artifacts on the black market.

One more point: the reviewer wrote, "I wonder if many of the Native American children forced to attend American private schools felt the same way." Native children were forcibly removed from their homes and taken, not to "private" schools, but schools more akin to reform schools where the objective was re-education: to beat the Indian out of them, to rape and molest Indian children; to cut their family and tribal ties, and to assimilate them into the American way of life, teaching them English and low level work skills (because very little was expected of them).

None of this has to do with the film, but since the other reviewer brought up questions not answered by the film, I'm simply correcting the reviewers' assumptions. This film is not high on my list.
Review Date: 9/25/2012

The previews made this seem like a different kind of movie, so I went in with some expectations. The movie turned out being something else, but still it is a good comedy that kept my interest even with the flawed lead character. Eddie Griffin stole the show. He was likeable, funny and wiser than his friend with the "gift." The film takes place post-Katrina, and attempts to show that despite what we're told, there is no rebuilding for the less fortunate residents that stuck it out. I didn't know, for one thing, that Stephen Dorff is known for making making bad movies. Had I such low expectations, I would still have liked this movie.
Review Date: 10/16/2018

Right wing "patriots" save the day, they are characterized as "conspiracy nuts" rather than survivalists that are stockpiling food and weapons. This film has a conflicted, convoluted storyline. There is initial footage of various presidents, among them Bush 1, proposing a new world order. The government are posited as the bad guys that upon declaring martial law will confiscate all weapons from the population. In the film the US Army declares the "NRA gun nuts" as domestic terrorists. Then it turns out that the UN is behind the new world order, claiming that America stands in the way of their agenda. The gist of story is that an EMP takes out the power grid, and one Texan homestead is targeted by the UN forces and are fought off by a single family in an incredulous battle scene. There is mediocre, sometimes melodramatic acting throughout. Even though I rate this fairly low as a film, it is still fun to watch, if only to attempt to sort out this mess.
Review Date: 7/30/2018

The packaging of this set is very misleading, and does not contain 2 DVDs. The second "disc" is a CD interview. The set contains "Amy Winehouse: The Girl Done Good" DVD, which is not bad in itself, but if you are looking for new material, this is not it. It's worth the credits if you haven't seen the DVD, and want to listen to the interview on CD.
Review Date: 8/3/2018

I am blown away by this series, which I did not see on TV. I'm impressed by the differing perspectives investigated, and the examples shown in the programs. Any discussion on "aliens" or life coming to Earth from other planets or solar systems is so interesting. In an endless universe, why should we assume that the third planet from our sun, be the only one to support intelligent life? I don't ascribe to alien abductions or UFO sitings per se, but I do think the sciences and professionals have much to offer to the discussion. And I do not think the societies we have constructed are the center of the universe. This program places various academic discussions at the center to demonstrate another perspective on "alien" lore. Traditional cultures from around the world play a central role in demonstrating the possibility of contact thousands of years ago. It's an very engaging program posing plausible theories.
Review Date: 12/8/2012

Although billed as mystery/thriller, my son recommended this film as "horror." It is definitely a nightmare. In the words of one reviewer, "To call it a version of 'fantasy island for white maniacal serial killer/rapists'. . . would take away the lengthy sociopsychological historical essay this movie deserves."
Review Date: 6/22/2023

I like suspense "thrillers"; and I like Jeff Bridges, and even Chris Hemsworth a little. Bad Times was an upped Vacancy with a twist. Here you get backstories on why these individuals are so messed up, you could say they are all victims of trauma. Even so, it didn't really make me invest in any of the characters. While Bridges' character is likeable; the one bright spot is Cynthia Erivo, a dynamite singer heading to Vegas, who is caught up in this crazy situation. Hensworth plays a despicable cult leader/child sexual predator and killer; he couldn't be more unlikeable a character.
Review Date: 11/9/2019

Early in the film, DiCaprio says he is pessimistic about our future, and I agree with him on that. Most Americans don't believe that oil is dwindling or care if alternative energy is made available. Most people don't believe that the government is owned by petro corporations, and this is unfortunate. The price of this ignorance will be more Katrinas, Harveys and Irmas; loss of the coastal lands and buffer zone flood plains. One reviewer said: "US politics/laws are inseparable from the financial backing of special-interests, particularly the fossil fuel lobby. And even if we managed to take the money out of politics . . . the average American isn't going to change their comfort level (i.e. energy consumption) to save anybody but themselves." Excellent film I would recommend.
Review Date: 4/15/2018

Giving one star is being generous. What a mess of a plot: sci-fi mixed with religious fanaticism.
Review Date: 4/16/2023

A co-op manager for coffee growers is on a quest for a long-term fair trade solution for his farmers. I was floored to learn how little coffee growers earn for their crops. It began with a cupping (taste testing) that praised Ethiopian coffee as the best, but led into the plight of real growers who live in poverty. It is a timely "wake up call" to choose only Fair Trade.
Review Date: 6/30/2018

I'm not a great fan of the Marvel superheros films, but Black Panther is among our keepers. The entire casting is great, the story is compelling and gripping throughout, there's a perfect blend of action, suspense, drama and comedy, and the costumes and CGI are fantastic and enhance the story rather than detract from it. The main draw for us is Chadwick Bosman, who will be greatly missed.
Review Date: 7/24/2023

This film is loosely based on Dee Brown's book of the same title. It has taken many liberties in with the story/history, for example, placing Charles Eastman, a young, Dartmouth-educated Sioux doctor in Pine Ridge. Eastman was a real person of notoriety, but was never at Pine Ridge. You can read about the other historical inaccuracies in other reviews. While I don't generally nitpick about historical inaccuracy--who would know the difference in this case anyway--Eastman is employed to carry the story forward, and bridge the opposing storylines. They could have utilized a made-up a character to fit this purpose. For Native American historians, or the Lakota and Dakota people, this is a glaring inaccuracy.

The tensions of Native American and American relations are played out by Sitting Bull (August Schellenberg), "the Lakota chief who refuses to submit to U.S. government policies designed to strip his people of their identity, dignity and sacred land; and Senator Henry Dawes (Aidan Quinn), one of the men responsible for the government policy on Indian affairs." What became known as the Dawes Act was the final straw in wrestling Native lands from the original peoples--making individual land holdings for each male head of household and throwing open the remaining Indian lands to white settlement. Sitting Bull accurately sums up this policy noting that the lands assigned will support only one generation--not the future generations. The real reason for removing the Sioux was to obtain the gold buried in the Black Hills, and to this day, the tribes have never accepted this settlement.

As a film, there's some saving grace as an educational tool, maybe as an introduction, but the inaccuracies would need to be addressed as well. The film shows Henry Dawes as sincere in his effort believing this is for the best, but for whom? The other vehicles of good intentions include the teacher, maybe even the character of Charles Eastman, who begins to question his role in this period of history particularly his role in aiding Dawes, whom he will eventually vehemently disagree.

The box set is packaged quite well. The film is worth a watch, but I'm on the fence about keeping it.
Review Date: 11/25/2018

I took a chance on this one to round out my Anton Yelchin filmography viewing. It is a wacky storyline, but light fun. Some gory makeup jobs for rotting skin. Yelchin plays the central character who is so likeable and offsets the controlling girlfriend and loser half-brother. There is also very funny humor in this film. Well worth a watch.
Review Date: 6/15/2020

I love movies with great soundtracks, and this is one of my favorites. I thought Beyonce played her role well. She may not be the Etta James, but I love her versions of James's songs. I also thought the hinted at love story believable. It may not be historically correct, but it is still one of my favorite movies.
Review Date: 7/25/2018

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